Team News – UnitedHealthcare at the Women’s Tour

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Team UnitedHealthcare’s Sharon Laws retains Mountains Jersey on challenging Women’s Tour Stage 2 into Bedford

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Team News – UnitedHealthcare at the Women’s Tour

After an overwhelmingly pleasant first day at the Friends Life Women’s Tour of Britain, in which the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team earned 3 classification jerseys and 3rd place on the stage, the women of the Blue Train faced an extremely difficult second stage today.

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The clear skies of yesterday gave way to driving rain, making the narrow and technical route from Hinkley to Bedford especially challenging and dangerous. With a clear objective of protecting the queen of the mountains jersey on the shoulders of Sharon Laws, the women of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team worked hard together, keeping the pace high leading into each of the day’s two QOM competitions so that Sharon could contest the summit.

The teamwork paid off, with Sharon scoring 2nd and 3rd in the competitions and extending her lead in the mountains classification to 4 points. The long, wet, rough roads took their toll on the riders, resulting in a crash that involved Blue Train teammates Lauren Tamayo and Cari Higgins. Fortunately, the riders were unharmed and able to complete the stage.

2014_WomensTourStage2_076

Sports Director Rachel Heal reflected on the challenging day and the teamwork that got the squad through it, “After the sunshine of yesterday, the British weather threw a twist at the riders with rain all day, making for a tough race on the narrow technical roads.”

“The team worked hard to keep Sharon in the climber’s jersey and Sharon proved that the climbing of Gila is standing her in good stead as she increased her lead in the competition. Hannah unfortunately lost the best young rider jersey to the day’s stage winner and new race leader, Rosella Ratto, but everyone is motivated to come out fighting tomorrow and we’ll try to take it back.”

 

 

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